North Carolina
Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly very poor with 11mph from the SSE.
Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly very poor with 11mph from the SSE.
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at C Street for the cleanest windows.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at C Street, North Carolina. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 1–2ft, 9s period, rated Very Poor. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on SE swell at 9s with 11mph SSE winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Fri, Sep 4: 1–2ft, 8s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on SE swell at 8s with 7mph WSW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 20mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3ft, 5s period, rated Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with 13mph WSW winds. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 17mph.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 5s period, rated Very Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on S swell at 5s with 9mph N winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 15mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 3–4ft, 6s period, rated Very Poor. A slow one — 3-4ft waves and very poor conditions with 15mph out of the ENE.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Very Poor today — get one free email when C Street turns Good.
Check C Street from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
C Street at Wrightsville Beach is southeastern North Carolina's surf hub — and one of the most crowded lineups on the East Coast. The beach break produces legitimately hollow, powerful waves that tube on solid S and SE swells, surprising visitors who expect mellow East Coast mush. Fall brings the best combo of swell and offshore winds, though UNCW students flood the lineup during the school year.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at C Street is 1-2ft with a 8.7s swell period. Wind is SSE at 11mph. Conditions are rated Very Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at C Street is 1-2ft, produced by a 1.8ft SE primary swell at 9s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf C Street is Tuesday from 7 AM to 10 AM with 3ft waves, a 6.4s swell period, and conditions rated Poor - Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
C Street works best with a SE swell and W winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at C Street. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
C Street is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. C Street at Wrightsville Beach is southeastern North Carolina's surf hub — and one of the most crowded lineups on the East Coast. The beach break produces legitimately hollow, powerful waves that tube on solid S and SE swells, surprising visitors who expect mellow East Coast mush. Fall brings the best combo of swell and offshore winds, though UNCW students flood the lineup during the school year.
The prime season at C Street is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at C Street include extreme crowds, localism, strong currents on south swells, jellyfish, stingrays. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our C Street forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
